Aizawl: The Mizoram government will begin the procurement and sale of four locally produced key crops, ginger, turmeric, dry broomsticks, and chilli, from February to support farmers, an official said on Thursday.
Mizoram Agriculture Marketing Board Co-Chairman KC Lalmalsawmzauva said that procurement of ginger from farmers will be undertaken from February to May, dry broomsticks from February to March, and turmeric and chilli from February to April.
The government had already begun the procurement of paddy (unhusked rice) in November, which will continue until March, he added.
Lalmalsawmzauva, who is also an adviser to the Chief Minister for the handholding scheme, said the government will extend maximum support prices for each crop purchased under the state’s flagship programme, ‘Bana Kaih’ (handholding scheme).
The maximum support price is fixed at Rs. 50 per kg for ginger, Rs. 80 per kg for dry broomsticks, Rs. 350 per kg for chilli, and Rs. 20 and Rs. 30 per kg for turmeric and paddy, respectively.
He added that procurement will be carried out at all Secondary Collection Centres (SCCs) across the state. “Buffer stocking will not be arranged this time, and all key crops will be procured at SCCs set up in different parts of the state. Only locally produced crops from farmers registered under farmers’ societies in their respective areas will be procured; crops from outside the area will not be entertained,” Lalmalsawmzauva told a news conference here.
There are 64 SCCs for ginger and 13 for dry broomsticks across the state, where government-deputed supervisors and assistant supervisors will monitor procurement, assisted by leaders of farmers’ societies, he said.
The maximum support prices will be transferred to the farmers’ bank accounts through Direct Beneficiary Transfer (DBT), he added.
Lalmalsawmzauva urged farmers to register under farmers’ societies in their respective areas, as they will not be allowed to sell crops at SCCs outside their area. He also said that farmers will be allowed to sell their crops to other private agencies at reasonable prices higher than the government-fixed support prices or minimum rates.
State Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Special Secretary Ramdinliani, who accompanied Lalmalsawmzauva at the press conference, noted that demand for Mizoram-grown ginger is increasing due to its organic quality.
Although many buyers have expressed interest, the government has yet to finalise agreements because of fluctuating ginger prices, she said.
The procurement of these five key crops was one of the poll promises of the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) government, headed by Chief Minister Lalduhoma.
Officials said the government spent or released about Rs. 137.72 crore as support prices for ginger purchases last year.
Additionally, the government procured 48,602.29 quintals of dried broomsticks worth nearly Rs. 2 crore and more than 1,400 quintals of paddy worth about Rs. 50 lakh from farmers during the same period.